Author: lbostgadmin
Bond 002
After a two-year hiatus, the government is tapping the international debt market to raise US$ 250 mn, to bridge the budget deficit.The Sri Lanka Development Bond issue will once again hit the limelight in July when the Central Bank re-issues US$ 91.5 mn worth of paper and US$ 158.5 mn in new issues.rn rnldblquote The […]
Rowing Together
President Chandrika Kumaratungas minority government secured the deputy speakers post in Parliament on Tuesday after the main opposition party offered no resistance to the move.The United National Front reached an agreement with the government not to oppose Kumaratungas candidate for the position, said party spokesman Mahinda Samarasinghe.rn rnHe did not elaborate. rn rnThe UNFs position […]
Password Protected
Do you have the four-digit PIN code for your ATM or the password to your mail account? Do your know who else has it? Hackers and freely available password hacking software are giving away passwords and all the secrets seemingly locked away safely by the alphanumeric code we call passwords.Venkateh Swaminathan is in Colombo today […]
Sex, Lies and Religion
Sri Lankas main Muslim leader Tuesday accused the government of implicating him in a sex scandal to secure his vote while a Buddhist monk charged that a fellow monk legislator had been abducted. Muslim leader Rauf Hakeem in a special address to parliament said the ruling party had fabricated a sex scandal to pressure his […]
City Life
Chinese millionaire Tao Shing Pee is 88, but his more than half-a-life-time love affair in tropical Sri Lanka is still going strong endash in fact Tao is willing to lavish more money and attention than ever on his tropical love.rnrn On Tuesday, Tao, know in Sri Lanka for developing rnColombos landmark building – the World […]
Talent Spotting
Venture capitalist, Aureos Lanka Advisers, has launched a US$ 10 mn fund to invest in ongoing projects in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.Formerly known as Ajoyana Fund Management, Aureos plans to invest between US$ 500,000 to US$ 3 mn in a wide array of business activities, the firm said in a statement Tuesday.rn rnThe Fund is […]
Pow-Wow
A Japanese envoy will meet with Tamil Tiger leaders in thernrebel-held town of Kilinochchi on Tuesday to discuss Sri Lankas efforts tornend a two decade civil war, an embassy official said.rnJapan is Sri Lankas largest aid donor and has joined diplomatic effortsrnto reach a final peace deal between the government and rebels since arnNorwegian-brokered cease-fire […]
Ms. Nurse
The Ministry of Health hired 2,000 new nurses on Monday to ease pressure on public sector demand for trained nursing staff. The country has around 16,000 trained nurses working in the public health sector but there is an immediate shortage of around 5,600 nurses in government hospitals.rn rnThe new appointments will be absorbed by Sri […]
Travel Brews
The idea of a lquote tea resort is growing within Watawala Plantations, to entice high-spending tourists to have a hands-on experience in tea making.Upto 15% of unproductive estate land has been earmarked for the tea resort and will sell rooms to an average US$ 200 per-night. rn rnWatawala Plantations CEO, Vish Govindasami said the firm […]
Right Practice
The CIMA Division Sri Lanka will host its annual conference next week, showcasing success stories of companies that have leveraged best practices to make a dent in the global marketplace. With global best practices a must-have, the conference follows on from last years theme of lquote Repositioning Sri Lanka Globally, with best practices among the […]
Mixed Blessings
Emirates Airlines on Monday announced a fuel surcharge on airline tickets purchased from selected markets, including Sri Lanka.Passengers buying tickets from Sri Lanka, pay an additional Rs.500 for a one-way journey and Rs. 1,000 per return ticket, the airline said.rn rnldblquote Emirates Airline is not implementing across-the-board ticket price surcharges in response to rising fuel […]
Looking Good
Sampath Bank on Monday secured an A+ (sri) for its long-term debt and an A (sri) rating for its four-year debenture issue from Fitch Ratings.An A+ (sri) rating denotes a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless be more vulnerable to changes […]